One wouldn’t know it, but heroines
who have ruled the roost and who are currently
sitting pretty on top of the heap, have often
had humble origins. Most would like to forget
that they were once struggling to achieve
a foothold in a ruthless industry. If it were
not for discerning directors who spotted the
spark of talent behind bushy eyebrows or pre-surgery
enhanced features and used it to launch a
Superstar, they would have remained just ordinary.

Bharathiraja gave India, Sridevi, who would
go on to become the reigning queen in three
different film industries at the same time.
A feat which she was the first to achieve
and which no one in all likelihood ever will
again. He was also responsible for launching
Radha, who was one of the leading heroines
of the 80s. T Rajendran discovered the talented
Amala. The list goes on and on. Let us check
out the current crop of top heroines who owe
their fame to the directors who gave them
their first break.

Jyothika: Jo is an SJ Suryah
discovery. She had a small cameo in Vaali
where she was nothing more than the figment
of Ajith Kumar’s imagination. But she
shone in that part and became every red-blooded
man’s dream girl. Jo had made quite
the impact in a miniscule role proving the
adage that there are no small roles, only
small actors. What followed was an enviable
career that saw her become the Queen bee of
Tamil cinema with the actress excelling in
bubbly roles as well as more performance-oriented
characters.

Reema Sen: Gautham Menon
was responsible for the discovery of this
firebrand actress and gave her the lead in
Minnale, where she was paired opposite Madhavan.
Since then, there has been no looking back
for this actress. She notched up hits by the
dozen and has remained at the top in the Tamil
as well as Telugu film industries. Selvaraghavan’s
Aayirathil Oruvan proved that she has the
ability to deliver a power-packed performance
with the best of them. Reema Sen is choosy
about her roles and she can afford to be that
way, because the wellspring of film offers
refuses to run dry for her.

Nayanthara: Director Hari
introduced her to Tamil films with Aiya where
she played a simple village belle. Her very
next film was Chandramukhi with none other
than Rajinikanth. Her contemporaries would
have willingly given their lives for the role
but Nayanthara was the lucky one to bag the
part. Plump and a little rough around the
edges but blessed with a natural charm and
the willingness to learn, she pulled off one
of the most magical transformations in film
history to become the numero uno actress of
the South.

Sameera Reddy: Gautham Menon
seems to have a knack for picking out winners
as Sexy Sam as she is known in Bollywood was
introduced to Tamil audiences as sensational
Sameera in Vaaranam Aayiram. Demure and delectable
she won a million hearts and is widely considered
the next best thing in Tamil cinema. And Nadunisi
Naigal proved that she has some serious acting
chops.

Genelia: Director Shankar
launched Genelia with Boys. Pretty Genelia
amidst a bevy of boys was quite the scene-stealer.
Her stint in Tamil cinema gave her career
a new lease of life and she has gone on to
act in some memorable movies in Tamil, Telugu,
and Hindi. Now, she is very much in demand
in all three industries.

Hansika Motwani: Hansika
came and conquered even before the release
of her first film in Tamil, which was Mapillai
with Dhanush. Suraj was the first to recognize
her potential and others were quick to follow.
She now has two films with Vijay and will
also be seen in Udhayanidhi Stalin’s
debut film, OKOK. Plump and pretty Hansika
will also be Vishal’s next heroine.
There is little doubt that she is here to
stay.